There’s a history book in your yard. That history book is a tree and trees are awesome. Trees show their own history in the growth rings around their core, which you can see when they’re beheaded (or core samples are taken (preferable)). Those rings can reveal climate changes, sunspot activity, nearby forest fires and all kinds of environmental activity over hundreds and in some special cases, thousands of years.

Wood also feels good to the touch. There’s something about it that’s unlike anything man made. I’m from an era when TVs, cars, heck, even video games had wood paneling. You’re kitchen and basement walls were made of wood and your giant spoons and best of all, your toilet seats. All this wood in my own personal history intermingled with wood’s own history got me thinking about GLOBALL.

Why GLOBALLs Are Made Out of Wood From All Seven Continents

If I made the GLOBALLs out of wood it would solve a lot of problems and do something rather unique. I could carve them the way I wanted using a 3D mitering saw and laser engrave them with my text and pictograms, making what I hope is a beautiful object.

I could get the wood from each of the 7 continents, one different type of wood for each ball. This way, as the balls travel, they could have a chance of returning home. I know there’s no trees on Antarctica but a lot of trees found in forests in the southern hemisphere migrated from the forests, yes, FORESTS, which originally covered Antarctica thousands of years ago. Despite all of these great qualities, the best, most unique thing about using wood is YOU.

As the GLOBALLs travel, they will get touched by a lot of people. As each person checks them out, they will leave the oil from their skin on the wood surface making them darker and darker. Each ball’s logo, texts and pictograms are not only engraved but have parts that will be painted white. Therefore, the darker the balls become and the more the white parts have higher and higher contrast. So in a sense, the passing between you folks records the passing between you folks!

It’s kind of neat: the wood has an inherent history, the GLOBALLS are going to record a new history and (cross your fingers and toes) maybe even make history. ; )